Combined rail-brace and tie-plate



Patented Nov. 1, 189.2.

I); RHOLMAN. Y COMBINED RAIL BRAGE AND TIE PLATE.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

DANIEL F. HOLMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.v

COMBINED RAIL-BRACEAND TIE-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,384, dated November 1, 1892. Application filed June 22,1891. Serial No. 397,116. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. HOLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Rail-Brace and Tie-Plate; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a combined tieplate and rail-brace, the objects being to pro vide in a combined tie-plate and rail-brace a tie-plate that will prevent the rails from sinking or wearing into the ties, and thereby prolonging the life of the tie and increasing the solidity of the track, to provide a tie-plate in the use of which additional strength will be given the spikes, to provide a rail-brace that will prevent the tipping or spreading of the rails, and thus making a stronger track and preserving the integrity of the same, and to provide for the general utility and efficiency of a device of this character.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a combined tie-plate and rail-brace constructed in accordance with my invention and a cross-section of a rail secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the tieplate and rail-brace. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 4 isa cross-section on the line 4 4: of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a tie and a railsection secured thereto by a tie-plate and railbrace constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring to said drawings, A indicates the tie-plate, which is conveniently of greater length than width. The said tie-plate is secured to the tie, and the rail is secured to said tie-plate. The said tie-plate is provided with a plurality of openings or holes for the passage of spikes, by means of which it is secured to the tie. Two of said openings or holes 1 and 2 are located near the ends of the tie-plate, the end portions of the latter being tapered for convenience of construction. As a feature of improvement the said holes 1 and 2 have the upper portion of their walls 3 chamfered, as at 4. It is obvious that the chamfered portion is greater or less, according to the size of the head of the spike that is to be driven therethrough. This chamfered portion of the holes 1 and 2 permits the spike to be driven down to its fullest extent, so that the rear edge or back of the spike is braced by the opposite wall of the hole. In this way the full strength of the spike is utilized, it being noted that heretofore a portion of the upper end of the spike always projected above the tie or other part into which it was driven. The bottom or under face of the tieplate is hollowed or concaved, as shown at 5, Figs. 1 and 4, while the lower marginal edges of said tie-p1ate lie in the same plane. By reason of this concave portion the tie-plate will adapt itself to the inequalities in the sur face of the tie, so that the said tie-plate will rest firmly thereon. The edges of the tie-plate will also be embedded to a certain extent in the tie, which provides an additional resistance to the spreading and adds to the strength of the track. The advantage gained by making the bottom of the tie-plate concave is manifest, it being noted that the surface of a railway-tie is not smooth and even, but has projections and indentations, so that if a tieplate with a smooth and even bottom face was placed thereon it would not have a firm and solid support, but might rest upon one of such projections. This objection is obviated by the use of my tie-plate for the reasons set forth. The said tie-plate is provided in its upper face about midway between its ends and transversely to its length with a bed 6, consisting of a depression in the said tieplate. The flange of the rail rests in this bed 6 and is secured by spikes 7 in a familiar manner, said spikes 7 passing through openings or holes 8 and 9 in the tie-plate adjacent the edges of said bed 6. The said tie-plate is also provided with an upward-projecting arm 10, that forms a rail-brace. The length and inclination of said armis such that when the rail is in place in the bed 6 the upper end of the arm rests or bears against the rail at the line of juncture between the web 11 and the tread 12 of said rail. The end of said arm is made to fit nicely the portion of the rail with which it comes in contact. In applying my invention to a railway-track the tie-plates are so arranged that the arm or brace 10 is located on the outside of the rail, as the greatest strain is in this direction. The combined tie-plate and rail-brace can be easily applied to a rail by sliding the tie-plate along the bottom surface of the rail, and when the flange 13 of the rail is over the bed 6 the tie-plate can be moved into position with the brace or arm 10 against the under face of the tread of the rail. When the tie-plate is securely fastened to the ties and the rail fastened to said tie-plate and braced by said arm 10, the liability of the rails spreading is reduced to a minimum, so that the integrity of the gage of the track will be preserved. The tipping of the rails is also prevented by means of said brace, especially in curves of the track, where the pressure on the outside rail is considerable. It will be obvious that the combined tie-plate and rail-brace can be cast, as shown, or can be struck from steel or iron in one piece.

My invention can also be applied to an old track as well as new tracks, and to facilitate such the end of the tie-plate removed from the arm 10 is sharpened or beveled, as at 14, so that the said tie-plate can be easily driven beneath a rail that is already laid. It will be further obvious that to remove a rail secured by my invention it is only necessary to remove one spike in each plate-na1nely, the inner spike 7, or the one passing through hole 8.

The combined tie-plate and rail-brace herein described can be made to fit any-size rail, and in a track constructed with this invention the rails are strengthened, the ties will last longer, the spikes will act with greater efiiciency, and the solidity and stability of the track is materially increased.

I claim as my invention- A tie-plate provided with a sharpened or beveled end and having its lower face concaved from its outer edge and having a depressed bed of about the width of the flange of a rail and adapted to receive the flange of a rail, holes or openings 8 and 9 in said tieplate adjacent the sides of said depressed bed, an uprising arm rising from one side of said bed and located to engage the under face of the tread of the rail, and holes or openings 2 in said tie-plate near the outer ends of the same, saidholes or openings 2 having straight vertical walls, with the upper portion of the walls located toward the inside of the track chamfered to admit the head of a spike.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL F. I-IOLMAN.

Witnesses:

HARRY COBB KENNEDY, OTTO LUEBKERT. 

